Japanese Onomatopoeic Words

If you study Japanese, you will notice that there are many onomatopoeia words in Japanese. Actually, we often use those words in our ordinarily conversations.

Do you remember the words which express how it rains like?
→Rain Rain, Go Away!


I found an interesting song of Japanese onomatopoeia.
This song doesn't have lyrical lyrics. It consists of only onomatopoeia words.

In the first part of it, you can see only animated words to music.
Can you imagine what's happening by listening (or seeing) these words?
Well, I could somehow. I could have a rough idea of it.



ゴロゴロ /goro-goro/
The sound of something is rolling on the ground.
コロコロ /koro-koro/ is also used to express rolling things, but it sounds lighter or smaller than ゴロゴロ. A baseball rolls as コロコロ, but if you make a big snowman and roll a big snow ball, it would sound ゴロゴロ.
Also this word ゴロゴロ is used to express someone is lying around or laze around at home.

休日(きゅうじつ)はいつも家(いえ)でゴロゴロしてるよ。
/kyujitsu wa itsumo ie de goro-goro siteiru/
I always lie around at home on my day off.
※してる：　している's informal (conversational) way.
※よ：　We often put よ at the end of the sentence when we talk to someone.
It makes the sentence friendly.


トントン /ton-ton/
The sound of knocking or tapping on something. If you say ドンドン /don-don/ it sounds stronger.
トントン also means "to go on without a hitch".

彼（かれ）の計画(けいかく)はとんとん拍子（びょうし）に進（すす）んだ。
/kare no keikaku wa ton-ton-byoushi ni susunda/
His plan went on swimmingly.

エッヘン /ehhen/
Ahem! The cough-like sound which is made in an arrogant act.
To show confidence in one's own worth.



Okay I'll introduce the other words in this song next time.
By the way, my husband sometimes makes funny onomatopoeic words.
For example, パヤパヤ/paya-paya/. Say it loud if you ain't commuting or in class now. It sounds really funny and cute for me. Guess what this word expresses about!!


It seems interesting to make new onomatopoeic words by myself, isn't it?
Do you have any ideas? :D

Let me know interesting onomatopoeic words in your language!
Or, which of Japanese onomatopoeic words sounds strange for you?